Sunday, October 16, 2016

Hair Loss in Women - Causes and Solutions

Ladies, unlike men, have almost always more going for them in terms of bodily changes, lifestyle changes and varying responsibilities. Above all, women are influenced by quite different factors, when compared to men, especially when it comes to their skin, hair and bones.

Hair loss is of paramount concern to women of all ages, particularly those going through hormonal changes, through acute periods of stress, and other undecipherable factors. These not-easy-to-figure-out causes could be anything from the absence of something vital in the diet, or chemicals in the water or shampoo, or even genetics!

However, genetics is not really the most common cause of hair loss among women. It is the influence of hormones that are usually the 'root cause' of hair loss among women. Thyroid conditions, menopause, sudden surges of certain hormones during the growth phases in adolescence, the starting or stopping of birth control pills can all cause temporary hair loss among women.

Other reasons for hair loss could be harmful techniques that women use to care for their hair, including harsh hair-straightening and coloring chemicals, perming solutions and hot irons. These cause damage to hair follicles, which in turn can cause hair loss.

Over-handling of hair is common among women, who spend considerable amount of time and money on their looks. Brushing, shampooing and wearing tight braids and ponytails for extended periods of time can all cause damage to the hair roots and lead to eventual hair fall.

Today's superwoman is a jetsetter, handling multiple functions and roles in one day. This leads to considerable amount of latent stress in the women, which manifests in hair loss, loss of moisture in skin, brittle nails, etc. Add to this, a tendency to grab an unhealthy snack on the go, when she is busy, and this deprives the body of vital nutrients, essential for healthy hair.

Other common, and often overseen, reasons for hair loss in women are anemia, infections of the liver or kidneys that prevent regular flushing away of toxins and rapid weightloss programs. Besides, hair loss could also have a hereditary reason behind it. If your elder sister or mother has experienced early hair loss, it might be a good idea to find out more about this pattern in the family. A common reason could be a hereditary condition, in which a reaction to testosterone in the body can lead to thinning of hair and loss of hair.

Female hair loss differs from male hair loss in that men tend to lose hair on the crown of their head and are prone to a receding hair line; women, on the other hand, experience a thinning of their hair with loss mainly on the sides and top of the head.

Androgenetic alopecia is a condition that is quite common to women. In this, a chemical by the name dihydrotestosterone (DHT) causes thinning of hair and hair loss. DHT is made by the naturally occurring hormone called androgen that is found in both men and women. In some people, there is an excessive production of DHT, leading to more hair loss.

Another interesting cause of the problem seems to be white blood cells that attack the hair follicles in a condition called alopecia areata. This is an autoimmune dysfunction that occurs in a small percentage of the population. When the hair follicles are attacked in this condition, they shrink in size and slow down the growth of new hair.

How to control hair loss

As it can be seen from the above, losing hair could be caused by any number of reasons, or a combination of reasons. Since hormones play a predominant role among women, there are ways to eliminate these hormonal conditions by taking drugs to counter the effects.

It is also important to eat a healthy diet, and lead an active life. Following a fitness program can largely reduce stress, which in turn can help maintain a healthy scalp.

Other easy-to-remember steps that you can take to reduce damage to your hair is to handle your hair with care. This means try and avoid using harsh chemicals to straighten, perm or color it until you have regained your natural hair growth. Try to change your shampoo to something that is organic or homemade. This will be gentler on your hair and scalp.

Above all, ensure that your diet includes all the hair-friendly nutrients, such as zinc, proteins, essential fatty acids and vitamins. If you feel that your diet is inadequate in some way, then consider taking a multi-vitamin tablet.

Prescription and nonprescription products

So what are some of the products that are available for the treatment of hair loss? The hair care industry is a large one, and many pharmaceutical firms have targeted this condition in particular. A range of products has been in the market to treat hair loss, both among men and women.

A prescription drug is one that requires the approval or prescription from your doctor. One product that is available for hair loss and that requires a prescription is Propecia. This has largely been used to treat male pattern baldness, and has been found to be rather ineffective in women.

However, a majority of hair loss products are available over the counter, i.e, they do not require a prescription from your doctor. Many of these are available as 'women's only' versions. There are even laser combs that are said to help hair regrowth.

Some of the popular names of nonprescription products are Provillus, Viviscal, Rogaine and Sephren. Among these, Viviscal is promoted as a natural hair food supplement to be taken orally, while Provillus is also meant to be consumed orally. Rogaine, on the other hand, is the brand name for minoxidil, which is said to be a hair regrowth solution for topical solution.

Sephren is a product that combines both an oral supplement as well as a topical foam. The product is said to be a safe way to help hair regrowth and promote blood circulation to the scalp.